Senior Associate

Application deadline: Monday, October 6, 2025 at 5PM EST

The Government Performance Portfolio within Program    

Pew's Government Performance team provides the nonpartisan research, solutions, and momentum decisionmakers need to ensure our institutions improve the health of people in the United States and enable them to successfully climb the economic ladder.  

Those goals are pursued through a wide range of the portfolio’s policy-focused projects (with explorations into new areas underway)—from ensuring states’ finances are prepared for future volatility, to unlocking gateways to mental health care, to addressing the nation’s lack of attainable housing.    

Pew’s Government Performance team is successful when we:   

• Foresee systemic challenges that could be avoided, mitigated, or resolved before they become insurmountable or politically toxic.   

• Fill information gaps with data, research, and proven models.   

• Hold leaders of institutions accountable to ensure they anticipate future challenges and operate efficiently.   

• Minimize missed opportunities when people intersect with our nation’s institutions.   

We hope for policymakers, funding partners, and other stakeholders celebrate when Pew’s Government Performance team enters a new policy space, launches a new effort, or expands an existing project because they recognize we help:   

• Elevate the public profile of a problem  

• Demonstrate that success is possible   

• Bring cohesion to siloed fields  

• Create momentum for broader and lasting change 

Fiscal 50, State Fiscal Policy 

Fiscal 50 is a high-visibility online platform that brings together Pew’s most relevant and timely state fiscal data and policy insights and provides insights into states’ long-term fiscal health on a range of metrics. This platform selectively presents data and analyses that help states look beyond their current budgets, size up their progress over time, consider different ways to measure performance, and easily compare their outcomes with neighbors or peers that have similar resources and challenges. 

Position Overview

As part of the team, the senior associate contributes to all aspects of Fiscal 50, a high-visibility interactive online platform that brings together Pew’s most relevant and timely state fiscal data and policy insights. The senior associate conceives and conducts independent research, analyzes and visualizes data, writes articles and other analytic content, develops clear and compelling narratives from findings, and helps execute the project’s communications and outreach strategy.

Located in Pew’s Washington, DC, office, this position reports to the associate manager, Fiscal 50, and participates in Pew’s hybrid work program with core days in the office and the flexibility to telework the remaining days. Staff also enjoy four telework “flex weeks” per year.

Responsibilities

• Foster a work environment that inspires excellence, values impact, encourages transparency, builds mutual trust and respect, embraces and values diversity, and is collaborative, caring, and compassionate.
• Work independently and with other researchers on the Fiscal 50 team and across Pew’s other fiscal teams to research and write a range of relevant content that informs policymakers, the media, and other stakeholders and draws connections between Pew’s research on promising fiscal management practices for states, fiscal data, and emerging news and policy developments from the states. Conduct interviews with state officials and other key stakeholders.
• Collect, organize, analyze, and visualize 50-state economic, fiscal, and demographic data. Build and maintain datasets, conceptualize data visualizations, and collaborate with graphic designers to develop and refine static and interactive graphics for use in a wide range of publications.
• Cultivate and maintain a broad knowledge of state-relevant fiscal and economic research, current trends and news developments. Participate in conferences, seminars and other professional development activities to keep current in areas of focus and be prepared to draw connections that inspire or inform Pew research.
• Contribute to the project’s communications and outreach efforts by developing effective presentations of research findings for internal and external audiences, including presenting independently when appropriate, providing research and talking points for use in media interviews by senior staff, and producing social media content and other means to present research findings to key audiences.
• Maintain an unwavering commitment to accuracy in all work. Review and fact-check project materials produced by other staff or contractors.
• Participate in activities that support program and Pew-wide objectives.

Requirements

• Demonstrated strong analytical skills applied to public policy issues, including experience analyzing data trends, synthesizing large amounts of information quickly and summarizing and focusing on the essence of findings effectively, identifying gaps in research and policy analysis, and developing ideas for research products that generate broad interest.

• Sound written and oral communications skills, including demonstrated experience translating complex concepts clearly. Effective public speaking skills a plus.
• Aptitude for conceiving data visualizations. Experience presenting data online is a plus.
• Aptitude to think strategically and creatively, adjust to changing circumstances, remain attentive to details, and exercise sound judgment in problem-solving.
• Demonstrated time and project management skills, including meeting multiple deadlines by maintaining a high level of organization.
• Proficiency in Excel is required; familiarity with other statistical analytical tools is a plus. Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Aptitude to apply a non-partisan, evidence-based approach to projects and campaigns that require support across the political spectrum.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Generally, four years of applicable experience.

Key attributes and preferred experience

• Skilled at developing and managing productive and collaborative relationships.
• Thrives in a creative, fast-paced, and highly professional corporate culture that emphasizes collegiality and teamwork.
• Effectively works with colleagues and leverages a variety of technical systems to advance complex projects to successful completion with measurable results.
• Skilled at informing and influencing internal and external audiences through written and oral communications.

Travel

This position requires occasional domestic travel to meetings and conferences.

Work Authorization

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are seeking employment without visa sponsorship.

Salary Range

$79,900 USD - $89,300 USD

The salary range represents a reasonable estimate of the annual salary based on Pew’s commitment to provide equitable and market-competitive pay. The actual salary offered will take into consideration many factors including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills and experience, internal pay equity, and business need.

Total Rewards

We offer a competitive salary and benefit program, including: comprehensive, affordable health care through medical, dental, and vision coverage; financial security with life and disability insurance; opportunities to save using health savings and flexible spending accounts; retirement benefits to help prepare for the future; and work/life benefits to maintain a good balance.

The Pew Charitable Trusts is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. Pew considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to age, race, color, sex (including pregnancy), nation of origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military/veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.